The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-06-26
LIFEIN THE INSANE ASYLUM
How the Two Thousand Patients and At
tendants Daily Pass Their Time.
Peculiar Conduct of the Womon on the
Grounds-Some of the Pitiable Cases.


Peculiar Conduct of the Womon on the
Grounds-Some of the Pitiable Cases.
Somebody, q long time ago, gave utterance to
the reflection that zone half the world doesn't
know how tother half lives" This is very true.
It is doubtful if one person in thousand, out
side the State benevolent institutions. knows
anything whatever about the daily routine of
those institutions. The Indiana Hospital for
the Insane, in its two departments, male and
female. contains in patients and attendants over
two Thousand persons all adults little city in
itself.
Athaif- past o'clock these summer mornings,
% o'clock in wintar-the night usher at the
Hospital for the Insane rings all the telephone
bells in the wards This calls up the attendants.
Early rs this seems to most dwellers in the city,
it is none too early for many Of the insane.
Long before this in the summer time. many Of
tho patients have risen and taken their places at
the windows, some to sing songs and laugh or
chatter with ono another, some to yoll
and shrek in most distrsssful manner. The
attendants, after getting mp, Immediately pro-
coed to unlock the doors Of the rooms and
domitorieA A scene of great confusion arises,
especially in the female wards. Attendants
rush to and fro. assisting patients to get their
clothing. Some of the patients are very stupid,
not caring whether they clothed not
while others trying to get into their possession
garments that do not belong to them.
It is at this time that quarrels are likely to
arise among patients, owing to the snatching of
clothes by some patients from others, which is
often followed by sudden and vigorous hair-pull-
ing. There is shrieking. laughing and dancing.
r ie oil
tients especially women eho insist upon caper-
ing about, costumed like Mother Eve before the
fall
The bath rooms are then opened, and the in
mates are as rapidly as possible taken in to per-
form their morning additions. While some at
tendants are occupied in the bathroom, others
are engaged in opening all the windows and are
assisted by patients in stripping the beds and
airing the bedding.
A. $50 o'clock the breakfast bel rings. The
most demented patients understand this glad
signal Long before it rings many begin to walk
impatiently before the door, waiting to be taken
down to their meals, and when the door is
opened unless the attendants keep close watch,
the stampede would probably be as great as that
which follows the striking of the gong at q coun-
tr tavern.
There is less confusion at the table than would
be expected. especially when the magnitude OF
the eating arrangements taken into cousid-
Grafton. for in the female department 40 per-
sons cit down at one table, and in the male de-
partment $40. Besides this large dining hall
the female department there are twelve
wards, in which dining-roo with about
thirty at each table. A noticeable
difference between the male aud female patients
is that where the men will march to the tables
with something like military precision in move
menr, the women viii. not. and always take their
places with more or less confusion. The women
more demonstrative at those alimentary
gatherings and have a way of calling each other,
and now and then throwing bits of bread even
plate or some other piece OF tableware at an
acquaintance
Twenty five minutes time is allowed for break
fast, after which the general cleaning up for the
day begins. The attendants for this work,
call to their aid q greater or less number of pa
tents. according to the ability of the latter. In
some wards of forty patients there may be only
half dozen who will give this assistance. while
ishine the door knobs metal and
wood work drawing the rubber over the floor
to give final polish. Large numbers of patients
detailed for special duty outside of the
wards Some go to the kitchen, others to the
sewing-room. some to the school room, and
large numbers, who are privileged to go out
alone upon the grounds, to seek their own
amusement and pleas
From the time of The ringing of the rising bell
the 81 pervisors 60 from ward to ward calling for
the morning reports. These reports give the
name of every patient upon the ward tells his or
her condition during the twenty four hours past
gives the capacity Of the ward, the number of
persons, numo Der of beds taken. number of per-
sons employed, and how employed during the
day. number of sick in bed taking medicine, how
many have walked out how many on special
diet, ETC. These reports are corrected and
brought to the superintendents Office each day,
making fort -eight in all.
About o'clock the patients through with
work. and on pleasant days. nearly every ward
in the houses is vacant. When announcement
is made by attendant that a walk is to be taken
to the grounds. the patients range themselves
ing is kept, each piece marked
with the owners This, their own
clothing, is placed upon them. Many are very
listless. take interest in the affair, and must
have their clothes put on them. On the fronx
wards, where the best class of patients is kept
the doors open and the patients find their
they choose. In the middle and back wards,
one or more, sometimes three, attendants, &C.
companylng a ward, keeping the patients in line
until they reach q certain section of the lawn,
which that particular ward has pre- empted as it's
special property. Ranged around on the lawn
this pleasant weather ara from $50 to 200
hammocks. These are all on the womens
side The male patients scorn hammocks, and
would not lie in one OF them under any con-
sideration. The women take great delight in
the hammock. They sit and swing the oscilla-
ton producing pleasant exhilaration, and there
are songs and laughter.
The men are less demonstrative on the grounds
than are the women. They as a rule, sit about,
taking little or no interest in anything except a
few who read books and newspapers.
Few women read at all TO read.
Men do not play cards out of doors,
but there Is considerable amusement of this
character inside the building as we'll as check
ers. There are four or five good chess players
who amuse themselves at that game.
large number Of male patients are engaged
on tho farm in the garden. by the florist. about
the dairy and about the stables. About 900 out
of the $50 male patients il tho daily average OF
those engaged. A daily average of 1873 men
are engaged in the wards at various duties.
The women inclined to scatter out over
the grounds. not remaining together nor in one
place. Some have fancy for going among the
shrubbery, where, talking to herself, each will,
Ophelia-like, make bouquets and wreaths, pick
ing off bits of evergreen and twining it with
leaves and grasses. Others have penchant for
hunting pebbles or lucky-stones and shells, while
others delight in making miniature gardens in
the dust as children do. Superintendent Fletcher
. says that il the place afforded the room he
would like to give to each female patient who
desires little piece of ground for cultivation
as a garden. and thinks that such employment
would be beneficial He remarked that nearly
all the women delight to pick things, and said